Spring Training Game Threads (2010)

[NatsDad14]

Just a guess - barring a trade (Andy Sonnanstine?), it is down to Livo, Stammen, and Martin after tonight.  Olsen is not JP'd, but he is headed to extended spring. 

Hopefully Stammen and Martin win. If they do, the team is showing a commitment to both winning and rebuilding. If they pick Livan, they are showing a commitment to losing, rewarding lazy out of shape fat guys, and playing mediocre veterans at the expense of young guys with upside.

[sportsfan882]

Hopefully Stammen and Martin win. If they do, the team is showing a commitment to both winning and rebuilding. If they pick Livan, they are showing a commitment to losing, rewarding lazy out of shape fat guys, and playing mediocre veterans at the expense of young guys with upside.

I hope the Yankees rock his fat ass tomorrow night

[sportsfan882]

Olsen said he was happy with his first four innings, but "things fell apart" in the fifth. He said he doesn't know what to make of the velocity change, other than to say he felt fine and wasn't getting tired. He said his second homer, an 83-mph fastball, was a "sinker that didn't sink." That was a common problem for him tonight.

Asked about the impression he's making on the coaches, he said, "I assume they see the jam shots and the balls off the end of the bat. I gave up 12 hits, and seven or eight of them were hit pretty well. You make adjustments and move on." Later, he said, "It is a competition to get in the rotation. I assume they'll make the choice on results. I don't sit in on the meetings. But I also don't want to give up six runs every time."

[JMW IV]

12 hits and 13 outs is not "fine" pitching. Olsen is unready and, as somebody (I forget who) suggested, would be well-off spending a few weeks in extended spring training, working on arm strength, before rehabbing in the minor leagues.

I said it on Zuckerman's site, and I'll say it here.

Scott Olsen = John Patterson.

he keeps saying eerily similar things to what Patterson said the year we cut him.

there is no way he should come anywhere close to this rotation until he can throw at least 91 on every single fastball.

[KnorrForYourMoney]

Just a guess - barring a trade (Andy Sonnanstine?)

Eric Stults is now available, supposedly.

Capps threw a scoreless inning with 2 K's.  Very nice to see that.

Nats lose 6-2.

[NatsDad14]

Scott Olsen is John Patterson with 1/10 of the success. Just Patterson him so that he can move onto his post baseball career.

[PANatsFan]

Eric Stults is now available, supposedly.

Capps threw a scoreless inning with 2 K's.  Very nice to see that.

Nats lose 6-2.

Killing Zoe is a really good movie.

[KnorrForYourMoney]

Killing Zoe is a really good movie.

Never seen it, but Tarantino is involved so I really should.

[PANatsFan]

Never seen it, but Tarantino is involved so I really should.

It was really really cheap on iTunes, like 4 bucks, when I got it.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Hopefully Stammen and Martin win. If they do, the team is showing a commitment to both winning and rebuilding. If they pick Livan, they are showing a commitment to losing, rewarding lazy out of shape fat guys, and playing mediocre veterans at the expense of young guys with upside.

Not a Livo fan, but keeping him around until Wang or Detwiler is able to take over a rotation slot is not the worst thing.  I don't mind them taking advantage of Martin's option.  It's not like we are waiving him.  We can slot him in when there is an injury, etc . . . 

Here is an interesting take on what to do with a 5th starter slot.  Essentially, Livo / Detwiler / Martin combo is exactly what this guy is talking about.

[Potomac Cannons]

I love how ASSTROLL still continues to actively root against the Nationals.

This.

[Potomac Cannons]

Olsen pitched fine, but not great. Might be working on the strike zone or getting more contact.

ASSCLOWN should be banned for 24yrs.

Fixed.

[tomterp]

Scott Olsen is John Patterson with 1/10 of the success. Just Patterson him so that he can move onto his post baseball career.

It's a $750,000 decision, and they have 3 alternatives.

1- Give him the Patterson treatment.
2- Put him in the rotation to start the season
3- Try to find a way to stash him on the DL or minors

I'd prefer 3 but that means they'd have to pay him for the full season.  Tough decision.  I can't see #2 at this point.

[shoeshineboy]

Olsen needs to get back to some full or healthy strength to be in the rotation. This was a key start for him. He can't be written off for the long haul, but as far as I am concerned, he's out of the mix for the initial rotation. That's okay, as it makes the decisions that much easier. For those who wondered why Livo was around, it's not for one position, it was for three - didn't matter if Olsen, Martin, Mock, or Olsen, couldn't cut it, Rizzo wanted insurance. Would have been great if enough stepped up to dump him now versus just when Wang, SS, Detwiler came up, but that didn't happen. Stammen has stepped up at this point, while Mock is right on the bubble. Olsen's out. Livo grabs a spot for the near term. Looks like the rotation is Lannan, Marquis, Stammen, Livo, Mock with 4 & 5 swapped for whoever steps up first or by the end of May when SS and Wang are both in there.

[Potomac Cannons]

No amount of rehabbing and working on arm strength is going to turn Scott Olsen into a Major League pitcher. He's done. Stick a fork in him. 

Seriously?  I get a PM about "attitude" but this idiot bans himself, weasles out of it, brings nothing remotely useful or constructive to any conversation at any time and yet continues to keyboard vomit here without fear.

Which one of you is his dad?

[NatsDad14]

It's ok to root against the Nationals in a few situations. I won't root for Guzman the same way I didn't root for Kearns last year. I hope he fails so that the team can make the proper decision that allows to win.

[PANatsFan]

Seriously?  I get a PM about "attitude" but this idiot bans himself, weasles out of it, brings nothing remotely useful or constructive to any conversation at any time and yet continues to keyboard vomit here without fear.

Which one of you is his dad?

He's entertaining and remarkably sincere and actively participates and stirs discussion.

[Potomac Cannons]

It's a $750,000 decision, and they have 3 alternatives.

1- Give him the Patterson treatment.
2- Put him in the rotation to start the season
3- Try to find a way to stash him on the DL or minors

I'd prefer 3 but that means they'd have to pay him for the full season.  Tough decision.  I can't see #2 at this point.

3 is the best option for that money.  750k is nothing and Olsen pitched well for 4 innings today.  Let's see if his stamina returns and he can be a 6 inning guy.  If not, nothing really lost as we have good cover ready, two other starters coming back soon, one stud rookie waiting for June to get here and another hopefully ready to go again late this year or early next.

[tomterp]

I get a PM about "attitude"

You do have a certain style of mixing condescension in with otherwise decent points.  You do it fairly frequently, and with a bit of a nasty edge to it, that doesn't really earn you the appreciation your posts might otherwise get. 

[Potomac Cannons]

I said it on Zuckerman's site, and I'll say it here.

Scott Olsen = John Patterson.

he keeps saying eerily similar things to what Patterson said the year we cut him.

there is no way he should come anywhere close to this rotation until he can throw at least 91 on every single fastball.

Patterson had a lengthy injury history.  Olsen has had one.

As for 91mph on every FB, why such a random #?  A good SP would be mixing up the speed on his FB so a solid range of 88-91 on the top end would be fine.

[Lintyfresh85]

ASSCLOWN was remarkably silent about Capps tonight.

Hmm.

As for fifth starters... what about Sergio Mitre of the Yanks? I've always liked the guy... and thought his stuff was always better than his numbers showed.

If its true he lost out to Hughes for the Yankees 5 spot... maybe Rizzo brings him in... or Gaudin who they put on waivers today.

[PANatsFan]

ASSCLOWN was remarkably silent about Capps tonight.

Hmm.

As for fifth starters... what about Sergio Mitre of the Yanks? I've always liked the guy... and thought his stuff was always better than his numbers showed.

If its true he lost out to Hughes for the Yankees 5 spot... maybe Rizzo brings him in... or Gaudin who they put on waivers today.

Gaudin was solid last year. I wanted to pick him up before the Yanks did.

[hammondsnats]

Again, GMU/Sportsfan, I don't understand how you can root against the Nats under any circumstance (other than the last game we 2 years ago clinched to get Strasburg). 

If Livan goes out and shows he's better than Martin/Olsen, let him be the 5th.  If Martin shows he's better than than Livan/Olsen, then let him be it. 

I think Stammen has the upper hand on the others, but I'm rooting for Livan/Martin/Olsen as well.  Whoever gets us wins.

[Lintyfresh85]

Again, GMU/Sportsfan, I don't understand how you can root against the Nats under any circumstance (other than the last game we 2 years ago clinched to get Strasburg). 

Are you really even a fan when you're rooting that hard against your favorite team?

I've never understood what's to be gained by that.

[houston-nat]

(other than the last game we 2 years ago clinched to get Strasburg). 

No, even that's disgusting. Remember, we got Bryce Harper with a 7-game winning streak.